


The Way You Love Me

by stillnotovermylordsixth



Series: Given Winter Holiday Event 2020 [4]
Category: Given (Anime), Given (Manga)
Genre: Aki being a caring bf, Boys In Love, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Fluff, Friendship, Given Winter Holiday Event 2020, Haru gets strep throat, Hurt/Comfort, Illness, Kissing, Light Angst, Love, M/M, Sickfic, Snowmen, here have a bucket of feels, holiday vibes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:02:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21738787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stillnotovermylordsixth/pseuds/stillnotovermylordsixth
Summary: Haruki feels down in the dumps after strep throat keeps him from playing at the winter festival. Akihiko makes a wonderful nurse and has a surprise in store to cheer his boyfriend up.DAY 6: DECORATING
Relationships: Kaji Akihiko/Nakayama Haruki, Satou Mafuyu/Uenoyama Ritsuka
Series: Given Winter Holiday Event 2020 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1566508
Comments: 26
Kudos: 160
Collections: Winter Holiday Event





	The Way You Love Me

**Author's Note:**

> Here's my last story for this event. 
> 
> These sweet boys deserve all the love in the world! <3

Akihiko glances up from his laptop and slips his noise-cancelling headphones off his ears when he catches movement from the corner of his eye. He watches Haru sluggishly kick his shoes off at the entrance to their apartment. 

One look at the small pharmacy bag in his boyfriend’s hand and Akihiko already knows the doctor did not tell him what he wanted to hear.

“Not just a cold, then?” he asks with a playful, implied, I-told-you-so.

Haru sighs and shakes his head as he drags himself past Akihiko's spot on the floor to collapse on the couch. The fake leather cushions _whoosh!_ when he plops down on them.

“Strep throat,” Haru reveals sadly, tossing the plastic bag onto their old coffee table. “Gotta take antibiotics for the next ten days and skip work for the next two." He tugs at his hoodie, the shirt beneath it rising slightly to reveal a hint of skin when he slips it off. He tosses it over the armrest and collapses with a drawn out sigh. "I feel so bad for my manager," Haru mumbles with a frown. "It’s so last minute for anyone to cover my shifts."

Akihiko hums sympathetically, unfolding himself to rise and sit beside Haru on the couch. “Better than coughing all over everyone’s coffee,” he says, pulling Haru's feet from the floor onto his lap.

Haru opens his mouth as if he's about to protest, but quickly covers his face to block a loud sneeze instead. And then another. And _another_.

Haru grimaces, holding onto his throat as he deflates with a sniff, looking absolutely miserable. His disheveled, wind-swept hair and the bags under his eyes seem to reflect exactly how he feels inside. The fact that he didn't wear snow-appropriate shoes and has been walking around with wet feet all day is probably not helping his condition. 

Akihiko yanks Haru's soaked-through socks off and flings them onto the floor, where they land with soggy plops. "And here I thought your feet couldn't stink any worse," he teases, straight-faced.

Haru scoffs, but doesn't argue back or pull away, which must be a testament to how crappy he's feeling.

He does release another forlorn sigh, though. "This is the worst timing ever, Aki. I won’t be able to play in the festival."

"It’s alright," Akihiko shrugs, cupping his hands over Haru's feet to warm them. "We'll find someone to cover you.”

Haru's face droops even more, and Akihiko realizes he said the wrong thing.

Akihiko knows they've all worked hard for Given to earn a spot in the winter festival _—_ it's far from an easy task _—_ but Haru had been the most excited of them all, since it'd be his first year performing with a band he recruited himself. Akihiko regrets sounding so nonchalant about a replacement when his boyfriend must be devastated.

"Sorry. I know how much you were looking forward to it," Akihiko amends, giving Haru's cold feet a tight squeeze. "It really sucks that you won't be there."

A small glimmer of hope lights up in Haru's eyes. "Well, I don't know. Maybe I _can_ go. I'll just suck it up for a few hours _—_ "

“Haru, you look like shit," Akihiko interrupts with a small grin, making his boyfriend's renewed enthusiasm deflate once again.

"Thanks, jerk," Haru murmurs, sinking farther into the cushions. "It's been a lovely day for me, y'know." 

Akihiko chuckles at his grumbly sarcasm and begins to gently rub his feet.

"You need to rest," he says, kneading at the sore spots where he knows Haru hurts after standing for ten-hour shifts in poor-arch-support shoes. "The weather's supposed to be harsher tomorrow," he adds matter-of-factly. "You'll only feel worse if you stand around in that. It's not worth it."

Haru rests his head on the backrest, watching him work. "I hate it when you're right," he sighs.

"Someone's gotta keep you in check, too, y'know," Akihiko grins when a soft smile appears on Haru's lips. Haru wiggles his toes in Akihiko's hands. 

"Thanks, Aki," he says quietly. 

Akihiko hums and continues his massage in silence, every now and then glancing back at Haru to make sure he's relaxed. It doesn't take long for Haru's heavy blinking to subside until his eyes remain shut and his face smooths over into something perfectly serene. His breathing deepens with the weight of sleep and after a few more minutes, Akihiko pauses and leans his head against the backrest just to observe. He never tires of the view.

He's always found Haru stunning, with his high cheekbones and cute little nose. Even right now—while his hair is a nest, that same nose is bright red and the lines on his face are deep with exhaustion—Haru is truly breathtaking.

Akihiko wishes he could make him feel better, though; take him into his arms and absorb all the discomfort he's feeling. But he knows Haru would have a fit if he knew Akihiko was thinking of him, however briefly, as fragile. So he returns his focus to his boyfriend's feet, aware that if Haru woke up to find him staring, it would make him feel overly self-conscious. 

…

Haruki vaguely registers the downward shift of the mattress on his side of the bed, but it’s the gentle graze of Aki’s calloused fingers along his cheek that finally rouses him from the depths of sleep. He peels his eyes open, struggling to focus in the darkness at first, but eventually finding Aki’s face above his own.

His boyfriend sits beside him, dressed in a simple long-sleeved V-neck and jeans.

"Hey," Aki grins, hand sliding over Haruki’s ear, down to his neck, where Haruki feels too hot. Aki's touch is a welcome one _—_ cool and soothing on his sweaty skin.

"Hey," he croaks, and Aki's eyes search him quietly. Haruki wishes it wasn't too dark for him to see the deep green hue of Aki's eyes _—_ it’s his absolute favorite color

"How are you feeling?" Aki asks. "Do you need me to stay?"

Haruki shakes his head and manages to sound very unconvincing when he says, "I'm okay."

Aki's touch returns to Haruki's cheek. His gaze is penetrating now that its lost its trace of amusement. "Haru, I can stay if you need me to."

To say that Haruki is touched would be a gross understatement. His heart is practically soaring with gratitude and love for this man who'd be willing to put his life on hold for him. But as much as he would love to have Aki stay in bed and cuddle with him all day, he doesn't want Aki to skip out on school or the winter festival.

"I'm sure I'll survive," he winks, turning his face into Aki's hand to press a kiss to his palm. "I do envy you, though,” he admits with a pout. “You get to be in the festival _—_ heck, you get to play in the snow! _—_ while I have to stay in here all day.”

Aki snorts. "It'll be more like a blizzard. And _—_ aren't you a little old to be playing in the snow?"

"No such thing as too old to play in the snow!" Haruki grumbles, but he can already feel his cheeks betraying his embarrassment.

Aki snorts again, and pushes Haruki's hair out of his face. Then he reaches over to the nightstand, which _—_ Haruki is barely noticing _—_ contains a number of items that were not there last night: three water bottles, a box of cooling gel patches, a thermometer, and a half-empty bag of cough drops. Aki returns with the box of cooling patches, which he proceeds to pop open while he speaks.

"There’s breakfast on the stove—porridge, eggs and bacon— but if you're not up for it, there's also some leftover broth in the fridge. Just make sure there’s something in your stomach before you take the pills.” He peels the protective layer off a gel patch and places it neatly over Haruki’s forehead. When he presses it down, Haruki grimaces at the unpleasant cold. It sends a shiver down his spine.

“And keep checking your temperature,” Aki instructs in the same serious tone. “You still feel pretty warm so maybe don’t use _all_ the blankets, it'll only make the fever worse. And make sure you drink lots of water _—_ "

"Sometimes I forget you're two years younger than me," Haruki interrupts with a sigh, but there's a small smile tugging at his lips. Being sick really, _really_ sucks, especially on a day when the band needs him. But he'd be lying if he didn't admit how exceptionally nice it is to be smothered by Aki’s care.

Aki grins back, pausing to stroke the new stubble that's appeared along Haruki's jaw overnight.

“We’ll miss you out there," he says quietly. "I mean it.” His eyes slowly flicker back and forth between both of Haruki's before he bends down to press a soft kiss to his lips.

Haruki wants to scold him for risking contagion, but the effect of Aki’s words is as sweet as the lingering contact of his lips, and he can't bring himself to ruin the moment. 

"I love you," Aki says when they part, making Haruki's heart flutter with joy. He grabs Aki's wrist before he can rise and brings Aki's knuckles to his lips. Haruki lets them linger there for a moment, and when Aki smiles warmly, he smiles back.

"I love you, too," he whispers.

Aki gives Haruki’s hair a playful, parting tug. "Call me if you need anything." 

…

The rest of the day is miserable. 

Haruki’s body aches like he lifted twice his weight with every muscle in his body _—_ including his eyelids. His throat hurts especially bad, so he finishes the remaining cough drops, though they only briefly soothe the sensation of having swallowed sharp rocks for dinner.

He tries to hold breakfast down, but it makes its way back up only a few minutes later. It's a shame, really. It was such a sweet gesture from his favorite person in the world.

Haruki takes his medicine, anyway, and works on staying hydrated.

Hours later, he doesn’t feel any better. The chills continue to rack his body, so he burrows into _all_ of the covers, even though Aki explicitly told him not to. The sheets still hold Aki’s scent, so that helps Haruki's mood _—_ though definitely not his fever _—_ significantly.

That is, until he scrolls through his social media feed and catches posts about the festival. The Given account is saturated with images of the band playing _—_ one of Mafuyu’s friends agreed to cover bass this time _—_ and interacting with fans offstage. There's multiple pictures of the four in candid poses in the snow; it really does look like a snow storm out there. But the weather appears to have improved as the event progressed, and the boys show up in several pictures all bundled up by the food trucks, drinking something warm, surrounded by illuminated trees, their faces glowing green and red and gold.

Then there’s one of only the three original members _—_ Aki in the middle, looking less than amused with snow on his face, and the two teens on either side of him looking quite smug _—_ and it reminds Haruki of the group picture they took on his birthday, when Aki caught him in the face with a pie. 

Haruki is genuinely happy that his bandmates are enjoying themselves. He loves catching the rare sight of Mafuyu's laugh and the lovestruck gaze Uenoyama is so bad at hiding when his boyfriend is singing. But more than anything, Haruki loves seeing the glow in Aki's eyes, even through the pictures, even when he's not smiling _—_ the glow that follows the thrill of a well-executed performance _—_ and he wishes he could be there to witness its beauty firsthand. 

After months of hard work, Haruki knows they deserve to have fun. They deserve all of that, and more. Which is why he's overwhelmed by guilt when a trickle of envy corrupts all of that happiness. It feels incredibly unfair to be left out, when he worked just as hard, if not _more_. It's also pathetic to see how easily replaceable he is among the talented group of musicians he brought together. 

Normally, Haruki is not one to give in to self-pity. He'd like to think he's outgrown that kind of immaturity. But right now, with the recurring nausea and the soreness and the sweats, he simply feels too drained to fight it anymore.

So he tosses his phone to the opposite side of the bed and drifts off into a restless sleep, feeling much, much worse.

….

It's the general buzz of activity that wakes him. And when Haruki opens his eyes, his first thought is that he forgot to turn the lights off in the living room. The second is that he doesn't remember turning them on in the first place.

He sits up groggily and nearly jumps out of his skin when he finds Mafuyu sitting cross-legged right outside his bedroom doorway.

The boy seems to be staring off into space with that distant look he gets when he's composing something in his head, while his fluffy red hair reflects the living room light in countless shades of orange and gold. Haruki stares, wide-eyed, wondering if this is some sort of feverish dream. He does feel a bit strange still _—_ lightheaded and hungry _—_ but at least he's not shivering anymore. 

"Mafuyu?" he asks, throat aching with the effort. 

Mafuyu's head snaps up and his eyes go big and round, like he's been caught red-handed. Then he jumps to his feet but remains outside the bedroom.

"Haruki-san!" he shouts, unusually loud for his chronically soft voice.

Haruki hears someone he can't see from this angle curse then stage-whisper, "Stall him, Mafuyu!"

Haruki rubs the sleep from his eyes and slips into his indoor slippers, slowly rising to his feet and testing his balance out before taking a step. "Mafuyu, what's going on?"

Mafuyu gives him a deer-in-the-headlights look as he approaches, but still manages to block Haruki's way. "Um _—_ uh, Haruki-san, I wanted to thank you for the tips you gave me to play in the cold. My fingers were frozen and they couldn't move so I _—_ I did what you suggested and it worked! So _—_ uh, so _—_ thank you for that."

"It's really not a big deal," Haruki says, knowing this flattery is Mafuyu's attempt to stall him for reasons unknown. Even so, he can feel his face warming a little.

“Oh, I _—_ I guess,” Mafuyu mutters awkwardly, and Haruki regrets dismissing his gratitude as a simple trick.

“Did you enjoy the festival?” he asks with a smile.

Mafuyu’s face lights up like there's stars in his eyes. “Yes! It was so much fun singing in front of a bigger crowd! You know, the energy _—_ it was _—_ uh _—_ it was much _—_ ” he frowns with a hum, struggling to find words to describe it.

“Bigger?” Haruki suggests with a chuckle.

“Yes! _Exactly!_ ” Mafuyu agrees with a large, loopy grin. 

Haruki laughs, and makes to side-step past him to go take a much-needed leak, but then Uenoyama shows up at the last moment to wrap an arm around Mafuyu’s shoulders, effectively blocking Haruki’s way.

“Haruki-san! Are you feeling better?” he asks, and doesn’t wait for a response before adding, “You better hurry up and get better 'cause Mafuyu’s friend really sucks.”

“Hey!” Mafuyu protests with a frown, but doesn’t contest the statement further.

Haruki snorts a laugh. “That was his first time playing our songs! Give him a break.”

Uenoyama shrugs, rolling his eyes. “A good musician can play _anything_ , even last minute.”

Haruki is about to counter that statement, when the living room lights turn off. He, Mafuyu, and Uenoyama all blink in surprise but they’re not in complete darkness, Haruki notes. There’s still a soft purple and red glow coming from the living room and bathing the rest of his tiny apartment in warm light. 

"Yeah, well," Aki’s deep voice approaches until he’s standing right beside Uenoyama in the same V-neck Haruki last saw him in. “We can’t all be prodigies like you, kid,” he says, ruffling the boy's hair a little too roughly.

Uenoyama grumbles something under his breath, smacking Aki’s hand away with a scowl.

Aki responds by leaning his entire weight on him obnoxiously. Uenoyama’s eyes narrow in annoyance, but he doesn’t push him off. Aki grins triumphantly, his eyes warm when they meet Haruki’s. “Hey,” he says in greeting.

“Hey,” Haruki replies, suddenly very aware of the disaster he must look like right now. Also, of the fact that his three bandmates are very purposefully blocking his way. He quirks an eyebrow at his boyfriend. “What are you guys up to?”

“Mmm…” Aki’s lip twitches, as if considering whether to let Haruki in on their little secret. Then he grins mischievously. “You really wanna see?”

"I really wanna _pee_ ," Haruki mutters, making his boyfriend chuckle.

"Fine, fine. Go pee," Aki cedes, stepping aside to let him by. "Oh! But don't look _—_!"

Before he can finish, Haruki's curiosity gets the best of him and he _looks_. His eyes go wide as they fill with color, and he immediately forgets where he was going.

The light is not coming from the living room, as he thought, but from outside, past the sliding glass doors that lead to the balcony. He steps closer and realizes the railings are wrapped in a string of multicolored lights, softly glowing purple and green and red. On the handrail is what was once a healthy layer of snow, but has turned into four tiny snowmen, each one about a foot tall. He recognizes one of his own scarves _—_ an old, green plaid thing _—_ that happens to be too long for just one of the tiny snowmen, so it has been wrapped around all four, causing them to bunch together, bottoms overlapping.

The snowmen's arms are made of splintered cinnamon sticks, their eyes of mismatched buttons (which Haruki recognizes from Aki's collection of fallen buttons which neither has learned how to sew back on where they belong, yet) and they’re all perfectly bald, except for one that carries long carrot peels on top of its head. A half-smoked cigarette sticks out from its face, making it look ridiculous.

“Is that supposed to be me?!” Haruki cries, equally touched and outraged.

“Yep, that's you!” Aki laughs. “Cute, right? A true likeness!”

Haruki snorts, though he feels a blush creeping up on him from the compliment. As he steps closer to the glass doors, he notices a small banner hanging from the lights, though he can't quite make out what it says since it's flapping in the wind. He slides the door open, ignoring Aki's warning about the cold, and steps out.

It is, indeed, _freezing_. But what really takes Haruki's breath away when he finally gets close enough, are the words, "Thank you for everything, Haruki-san!"

He hears the sound of footsteps behind him and finds Uenoyama and Mafuyu grinning at him.

"But _—_ why are you thanking me?" Haruki asks, confused. "I wasn't even there today."

Uenoyama shrugs. "But you're always there," he says nonchalantly. "You're always pushing us to work hard but you also help us when we're struggling. And really, the reason we’re a band in the first place is because of you. You brought us all together one way or another." He bumps Mafuyu's shoulder with his. "And your advice helped Mafuyu, today. So that was kinda like being there, right?"

Mafuyu nods vehemently, adding, "Kaji-san still looked like a lost puppy, though."

"Oi!" Aki's voice booms from where he disappeared inside. "You talking about me behind my back?" he calls with false bravado right before he emerges into the balcony with a blanket. He wraps it around Haruki's shoulders, but Haruki is still too stunned to thank him.

"Kaji-san also told us you really like playing in the snow," Mafuyu continues, undeterred. "But since you couldn’t build a snowman, we made four of them for you! What do you think?"

The trio look expectantly at Haruki and Haruki finds that he cannot speak. His mind is still processing Uenoyama's words when he's taken aback by an enormous wave of emotion. He can't control his lower lip when it starts to quiver.

Haruki can almost hear the alarms going off in Aki’s head as his boyfriend stares wide-eyed at him. “Haru? What _—_?”

Uenoyama and Mafuyu exchange equally horrified glances, frozen in place.

“That’s so _—_ stupid,” Haruki sniffs, a tear sliding down his cheek. “Stupid and _—_ and sweet,” he sobs, feeling absolutely ridiculous as he rubs at his eye with a corner of the blanket.

“Eh _—_ we _—_ we should _—_ probably _—_ make some tea, right? Uenoyama-kun?” Mafuyu stutters, yanking a still-gaping Uenoyama by the elbow back into the apartment.

Aki doesn't wait for the door to slide shut before bridging the short distance to Haruki. “Hey,” he whispers, gently cupping Haruki's tearstained cheek. “What is it? Are you okay?”

“Sorry, Aki, I _—_ ” Haruki sighs, cheeks and ears burning intensely under Aki’s concerned gaze. “I don’t really know where that came from.”

“No need to apologize,” Aki says softly, securing the blanket over Haruki's head like a makeshift hoodie before encompassing him in warm, welcoming arms. Haruki buries his face in the safety of his neck.

“It’s been a stressful few days for you," Aki continues. "Your body's been putting you through hell so I though this would cheer you up a little. But maybe I should’ve asked ahead of time _—_ ”

“No, no, stop.” Haruki interrupts, pulling away to glance up at Aki. The poor guy looks so confused that Haruki wants to kick himself. “Aki, it was great! Really _—_ the surprise _—_ I loved it! It’s not that, it's just _—_ uh _—_ how do I explain it?” He pauses, chewing on his lip as if that will magically bring the right words to his mouth. Aki watches him, waiting patiently. 

“Okay,” Haruki releases a long breath, which fogs up the air between them. Then he takes a deep one.

“So today, I was feeling sorry for myself all day, y'know _—_ being sick and missing the festival and seeing how much fun you guys had. I felt _—_ really left out.”

“I figured,” Aki acknowledges with a gentle rub to the back of Haruki's neck.

"Well, the thing is I _—_ really thought you didn't need me," Haruki murmurs, defeated. "I thought maybe it didn't make a difference if I was there or not. But that doesn't matter because I was being irrational _—_ I was forgetting something so important,” Haruki continues, fresh tears lining up at his lashes. “I was forgetting that I have you. And that makes me so lucky, Aki. Because you're the type of person who does things like this _—_ " he gestures at the lit up snowmen, " _—_ just to cheer me up. And gives me foot rubs when I'm tired _—_ ” He sniffs, choking on a sob and letting the tears fall again because it’s become a pointless task, trying to keep them in. 

Aki's expression softens as he wipes a tear away with his thumb. "Haru _—_ "

“No, listen,” he says slowly, trying to keep the tremble out of his voice. “I need you to know I appreciate everything you do for me."

Aki nods and remains quiet, so Haruki goes on.

"All this time, I thought I knew what love was, y'know? I thought I'd figured out all there was to it. But you came and proved me wrong because _—_ the things I experienced before _—_ they don't even come close to the way you love me, Aki. And it _—_ it can be a little overwhelming, sometimes.”

Aki is silent for a moment, waiting for Haruki to continue if there's more he needs to say. And when it's clear that Haruki has said it all, Aki holds Haruki's face in his hands and gently bumps his forehead into his.

“First of all," Aki says just as gently, "it _does_ matter that you felt insignificant. It's a valid feeling to have, and it doesn't make you irrational or ungrateful, even if what you're feeling is far from the truth. There's no one like you, Haru. No one else could've brought Given this far! Most bands don't last this long and you know that better than anyone. You know that it's not just about talent and writing a good song. It's about personalities and being in sync with each other. Somehow, you saw that in all of us, and brought us together. No one has the vision for this band that you do."

Haruki processes all of that while his eyes fill with tears again (will they ever stop?!). He hadn't really thought of his role in the band that way before. Perhaps his view had been too narrow. 

"And secondly," Aki continues, quieter, "you see me, Haru. You accept things about me that I thought were too ugly for anyone to accept and still love me in spite of them. So, I’m only trying to be as good for you as you are for me. You already set the bar so high.”

Haruki sniffs again, his heart warmed by the sincerity of Aki's words.

Aki seems to wait for Haruki to say something, but when he doesn't, he leans in to join their lips.

Haruki's face is completely soaked and freezing now, and all he wants to do is melt into his boyfriend's kiss. But then he remembers the reasons why it’s not ideal to do so at the moment.

“W-wait!” Haruki whispers, adding a few more inches of distance between them. He steals a glance through the doors, where the other half of the band is busy making tea in the kitchen.

“What? You think _they_ don’t kiss?” Aki laughs, his eyes positively mirthful. “Besides, they’re minding their own business.”

“But _—_ but what if I get you sick?” Haruki asks, feeling guilty enough about not stopping their kiss in the morning.

One of Aki’s slender fingers glides under Haruki's chin, tilting his face upward to meet his eyes. “Haru,” he says, soft. "If you don't want me to kiss you, just say so. Otherwise, there’s nothing in this world that can hold me back. Got it?"

The intensity in Aki's eyes makes pleasant goosebumps spread over Haruki’s arms. He can’t remember ever feeling this wanted in any of his previous relationships. It’s a thrilling feeling.

“Well, uh _—_ ” Haruki glances over at the two boys, who are very deliberately ignoring their conversation with a video on Uenoyama’s phone. “Don’t expect me to baby you when you start feeling like death,” he mumbles.

Aki lets out a low, rumbly chuckle and draws Haruki’s face close.

“You will, though,” Aki says smugly _—_ and Haruki knows it’s 100% true _—_ and kisses him. 

Haruki closes his eyes at the last moment, humming with pleasure when Aki’s tongue glides slowly along his lower lip. The piercing on Aki’s tongue does things to him every time, and this one is no exception. Warmth spreads in Haruki's chest and he finally melts with abandon into Aki's arms. 

After a bit, Aki breaks off with a smile and pulls Haruki back into a firm hug, swaying a little in a way that reminds Haruki of rocking a child to sleep. Haruki brings Aki into his blanket cocoon and shares the warmth. They stand like that, holding each other for a long time, until a loud cough only a few feet away makes Haruki jump.

He's shocked to find Uenoyama and Mafuyu standing beside them, especially since he didn't hear the door slide open.

"Oi! You guys got ninja stealth!" Aki shouts, just as surprised.

The boys are each holding two mugs, and Uenoyama holds both of his out to them. “Um, here’s your tea,” he murmurs, looking anywhere but directly at them.

Haruki and Aki unwrap from each other and take them. Mafuyu steps forward and hands his boyfriend one of his steaming mugs. “You were right, Uenoyama-kun,” he says somberly. “You made that super awkward.”

“Ehhh?!” Uenoyama shrieks, blushing harder than Haruki’s ever seen. “You _—_ shut up!”

“What is it, Uecchi?” Aki asks innocently, wrapping a playful arm around Haruki again. “You don’t think we make a cute couple?”

Uenoyama squirms, his ears growing so red that Haruki snorts out a laugh in his attempt to contain it. If he’d taken a sip of that tea, it’d be coming out of his nose right now. But he recovers quickly enough and shoots his boyfriend a pointed glance. 

“Come on, Aki,” he scolds, and Aki winks back, unrepentant. Haruki grins and turns to the youngest members of the band.

“Thank you guys," Haruki says, sincerely. "For the snowmen and the tea and _—_ everything. It really made my day a whole lot better.”

Uenoyama’s embarrassment seems to fade a little and he simply nods.

“We have a very poor quality video of the show, if you wanna watch,” Mafuyu adds brightly, and Haruki beams back.

“Of course I wanna watch it!” 

“Set it up on the TV, Uecchi!" Aki says eagerly. "Laptop and HDMI are in the bedroom. Mafuyu, make some popcorn! It's in the top left cupboard.”

"So bossy," Haruki mutters under his breath as they follow the boys inside, amused that they're actually doing as they're told without complaint.

“They know there's a 'please' in there somewhere," Aki snickers, then lowers his voice into Haruki's ear. "And now you can _really_ hear how bad we sound without you."

Haruki knows there’s no way the band sounds bad with Uenoyama’s mad guitar skills, Mafuyu’s powerhouse of a voice, and Aki going insane on the drums. But it feels nice to be considered just as vital to the band as the rest of them, _by_ the rest of them.

It brings a pleasant warmth to Haruki's cheeks, which Aki makes ten times worse by landing a quick, teasing nip on his earlobe before the boys return.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked this series. Let me know if you'd like me to write more for this pairing! 
> 
> Feel free to drop some ideas below or send them to my tumblr, stillnotovermylordsixth 
> 
> ;)


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